40-year sentence for attack on child

An Effingham County man accused of assaulting a 2-year-old child in his care was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years in prison.

Robert Edwards, who was charged with aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated assault and four counts of cruelty to children, pled guilty to three charges and was sentenced to 20 years for aggravated battery, 20 years to serve consecutively for aggravated assault and a 20-year concurrent sentence for aggravated assault.

Edwards entered his plea Tuesday morning before Judge Gates Peed, who handed down a sentence recommended by the district’s attorney office.